Used 2003 Volkswagen Jetta Consumer Reviews
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Speedy loves it!!
I love the VW. Had a 2000 Beetle but wanted more room so I got the Jetta. The 1.8T is the best. The gas pedal just says "go ahead". It has been great.
Great Car for the Money
Good car for the money. I have traveled to VA a couple of times and it never gave me a problem. I had to bring my car back to the dealer 3 times for the brakes. The dealer realized it was a defect of the calipers. VW replaced the brakes at no charge. My fuel sensor went at about 35,000 miles. The paint on the car chips too easy. The cupholers are fine but need to be of a better quality than plastic. The interior is first rate. It is like having a BMW for $20,000 less! The blue and red dash always gets complements. Car has the best look in its class. Plus you can brag to your friends that you drive a German car!
- GLSMSRP: $2,450232 mi away
- GLS 1.8T WagonMSRP: $2,999661 mi away
- GLS SedanMSRP: $1,799690 mi away
BMW Performace, Volkswagen Prices
After owning various BMW models, including the market-leading 3-series sedan, I've come to own a Tornado Red Jetta GLI. I've found it to be an immensly entertaining ride, with a free-revving and torquey VR6 engine, a slick 6 speed which is a joy to row and pedals placed perfectly for heel- and-toe downshifts. The suspension readily absorbs road irregularities while being stiff enough to prevent excessive body roll. An all-around fun car to drive which rewards great drivers.
WHAT A CAR
I just test drove the Jetta GLI and all i can say is wow. The model i test drove had everything, leather sunroof and cold weather package. The engine performace even surpassed my big v8 i currently drive. The 6 speed is a blast and i WILL be purchasing my car SOON.
Hot Rod Wagen
We purchased a VW Jetta Wagon with the VR6 and Sport suspension. It has seen a lot of miles and we havn't had a single problem. The workmanship is outstanding and the performance is amazing. This little grocery getter won't stop for groceries. It just blows on by. It's a blast to drive and always want's to be driven. The only complaint I have is that it's hard to drive slow. If they can change the location of the cupholder, I could cruise all day. This is really a Passat, except $8,000 dollars cheaper. This is my first VW and I am really looking forward to the V-12 powered Toureg. No more Hondas/Toyotas for me...I'm hooked
Same again
Nice car. Good head and leg room. Quiet. Don't even ask me to put a muffler on steroids on it.
Average Car
I bought this car 2 years ago. I wish that i would have researched the engine sizes available, the 2.0 is a weak engine and doesn't get very good gas mileage. I wish that I would have gotten the 1.8T. It comes with the same estimated mpg. The build quality is very good. The styling inside and out is the best i've seen. reliability has been pretty good, sometimes gets flooded. Uses a special synthetic oil that is hard to find and expensive. And at 60,000 yo need you timing belt and water pump replaced. Costs around 800, I got lucky and only payed 450.
Fix the Window Problem!
My Jetta's windows have broken twice already. The problem is that the window is heald up by a tiny, plastic device that breaks CONSTANTLY. It's a real hassle to get fixed too! My friend also has a Jetta and all four of her windows have fallen into the door as well. The cupholders are in a rotten spot (the condensation on the cup drips right onto the radio). I think this would have been a great car for me if a bit more $$ was spent by the manufacturer on the parts you don't see!
Hands Down best base model car!
I looked at many base model cars, and for $16,000 dollars you cannot get a vehicle with the Jetta's build quality and accessories. This car comes with on the base model 4 wheel disc brakes, 6 air bags, awesome cd sound system power downs/locks, tilt/telescoping steering wheel, adjustable forward/height driver and front passenger seats, and a inclimate weather steering system. Best car ever for the price.
Great
This car looks great inside and out and it drives awesome. My favorite car was the jetta, and after i got it i loved it even more.
I LOVE MY JETTA GLS 1.8T!!!
this car is sooo cool, i love it!! my parents bought a new 2003 jetta for my birthday. yup, brand spankin new!! i used to drive a honda; but unfortunately, it died out on me. practically everyone i know including my whole family all drive japanese made cars. but let me tell you, i 'do' notice a difference...the quality is sooo much better!!! .. i'm especially excited about the heated seats!!!..turbo! ..automatic daytime lights!..how the interior lights up blue!!..spacey trunk!!, i can go on and on ..aaaaah, i love my car!!! ^____________^ YAY!!!! only got 300 miles on it, and had it for just about a week now.. he he :)
Great Car...
My jetta has served me well but have had a couple little issues with it...Whats up with the noise while the car is being turned???Need to get it into the shop...and what about it being really loud at 75mph and up...its screaming for a 6th gear. But the Car is fun and lots of compliments...especially abuot the dash and outisde appearance. I do love the car but my eyes are turning towards that 2003 Toyota 4 Runner
Fun drive - Mediocre reliability
Bought this car for my son back in May- 2003 and I must admit that it is very fast and a blast to drive. The car handles and performs well except for a bit of turbo lag. Interior is adequate. Having been spoiled by Japanese quality, I was dissapointed with unreliability of the car. Since buying it 5 months ago, it has been in the shop 5 times - 3 little things like a broken trunk lock and twice for dead batteries. The volkswagen dealer's been very good throughout however, providing loaner cars, etc. Overall we like the car, but would suggest you consider the trips to the service dept.
Nice, Very Nice
Hi have a 2003 Blue Lagoon 1.8T, its a fabulous car. I would recommend spending extra for the sports package-- 17" wheels and firmer suspension. Con: My only concern is long dealership service waits, and the Jetta has no back seat room at all, however if you ever sit back there it is very comfortable.
Do Not Buy....:(
There are serval issues that will come along with a owning a Jetta. The car is one of the most unreliable car I have ever owned. Malfunctions-power windows, transmission, water pump, sound system, engine coil. I hope this review will help you choose your vehicle wisely. I wish that I would have done more research. Do not be fool to believe that all VW owners are truly happy. Ask the opinion of those that are near the service department of the dealer you may choose to visit. They will speak the truth and not steer you in the wrong direction, since they have first hand experience.
really great!!
near perfect, except tail lights, they look ok
You have to drive it to believe it!
The title should really read "I LOVE THIS CAR!!!". If you want a fun-to-drive car, then this should definately make your short list. There is just something about good solid German engineering that just screams "drive me". I used to hate driving, but I actually look forward to driving in my Jetta. But, lets be honest...the ride is not BMW-like. I have driven the 3-Series, from the 325 to the 330, and the handling is much better. But, look at the price difference...is it really 10k-12k better? Probably not. Also, there is a certain feeling you get when you drive a VW. Its like your "in". With the BMW, its more of a feeling of superiority. My advice: test drive one, but get the 1.8T or VR6.
Made a believer out of me!
I had previously driven an American 6 cylinder, and was afraid to go back down to a 4, when a friend told me about the 1.8T. After test driving the Sentra, Altima and Camry, I tested the Jetta. I knew I loved it immediately! After being bored with my last two cars, I was afraid I would never again find a car I loved -- but the 1.8T has restored my faith. My buying experience was my best ever (Burlington VW), and their service is excellent, too. The car has great pick-up, purrs nicely at highway speeds, and has lots of standard equipment. All around, a great car.
Great Car for a Long Commute
I was not expecting to buy the diesel when I arrived at the VW dealership. I wanted the 1.8 T. The fule economy of the diesel made me curious so I took it for a test drive. I was amazed! It had a lot more power than had expected, and did not seem any louder than the gas engine. I bought the diesel and have had absolutly no regrets. I would recomend this vehicle to any commuter.
What a beaut!!!!
Yes, the windows do "rattle" a little when you hit a bump...yes, the cupholders are in a bad place...but if you are looking for the perfect car, it is not going to come at a $25000 price tag. The car handles wonderfully, the seats are comfortable (not to mention heated), it looks better than any other small sedan and has low maintenence and the highest resale value in its class. You are not going to find a better car for the price. Oh, and to the person who said the doors are heavy...THAT IS A GOOD THING...it means it is a quality, solidly built vehicle. I highly recommend this car to anyone considering it.
I once was a Skeptic too
I have owned My Silver Jetta named Brach for a year now and I could not be more happy with this car. It is without a doubt one of the best values on the market, and call me lucky but I am a very aggressive driver and I have not had one problem with Brach besides my wheels having to be balanced and rotated often ( I am really agressive). I sell Nissans, and we have an X5, Maxima, and Intrigue that I drive on the regular, all costing far more than the Jetta and it always feels like it is in the same league as the others. Great car.
POWERFUL
I HAVE PUT 1500 MILES SO FAR THE JETTA IS A EXCELLENT CAR 1.8 TURBO VERY POWERFUL.VERY SMOOTH DRIVE VERY HAPPY WITH JETTA.
Door/Window Rattles? Look Here!
For those of you with Window/ and Door rattles. The solution is to lubricate the door seals on the car itself.Even if you think this cannot possibly be the source of your rattles try this anyway. The best stuff to use for this is a product called Gumipledge(Sp?) It is sold by BMW dealers for about $8. They have the same issue with there cars. Lube up all the door seals and any rubber on the doors themselves. Be sure to get some on the top rubber door seal that runs along the top of the car. In addition spray white lithium grease in your door locks and hinges I guarantee this will work for many of you and your car will be rattle free. Good Luck!!!
Best Car Ever
I love this car!!! It is so fun and nice to drive comfortable for 5 min or 5 hours!! I Love to fuel mileage, 42 to 53 mpg! Great handeling on back roads and highway. Quite interior.Great radio sound. Never seems to run out of power and It just looks great. I really love my car in case you can't tell.
Lots Of Fun To Drive
I don't know what others are talking about! This car is great. I just bought it and really love it. It is very fast and comfy. The leather is awesome, and I really like the heated seats. Sure it is a bit pricey, but well worth it.
best buy
The best car. I love driving it.
ROCKET SPORT SEDAN
IF YOU ARE LOKING FOR A FAST,SPORTS SEDAN YOU SHOULD LOOK HERE.FEATURES TO RIVAL MORE EXPENSIVE VEHICLES.COMPARABLE TO A BMW 3 SERIS,AND LEXUS IS300 AT $10,000.00 LESS.LEATHER INTERIOR,200 HP,6 SPD TRANS,SUNROOF & TRACTION CONTROL OR ABOUT $25,000.BEST QUALITY IN ITS CLASS.
Amazed at Jetta TDI power & speed
Had it for a week now. Was worried about the speed/power thing for a small engine. (I had a 4 cyl Ranger that couldnt keep up speed at top of Sunshine Skyway bridge). This TDI accelerates in 5th gear from 80 mph nearing the top of the bridge with no sign of slowing down! The dealer had Hondas so I checked them out- the 51 mpg one. I thought the plastic felt as cheap as my Subaru 76 DL which I loved at the time. The Honda sure wasnt worth a "MARKET ADJUSTMENT" the dealer put on all the Hondas. (What kind of nut would pay a market adjustment?) Anyhow, the Jetta TDI is built solid, runs like a roadster and is comfortable. I love it. Dave
Great car!
Everytime I get into my car I am reminded how much I love it. I commute frequently so I need something both reliable and fun to drive. I've certainly found both of those in the Jetta.
quick, loaded with features, Fun!
I've driven my Jetta 1000 miles, and I am really having fun with every mile! The manual trans, excellent handling, braking, and turbo have made me feel like I'm in a rally car- with interior comforts and luxury. Performance is VERY good. City fuel mileage is not great at about 25.7 right now.... I rate the build quality so far as excellent, except some stray door rattles, and everything works great. Amazing features, attention to detail- gently dimming lighting, trunk release, and the unique remote key. This is my 9th car, probably the best overall quality. LOVE the interior lighting - I could drive this car all night long!
My perfect car!
I have owned Jetta's for the past 5 years and just bought a new 2003 TDI Jetta. I absolutly love it! Im still on my first tank of gas and have already gone 445 miles, and still going! Not bad for an 11-12 gallon tank with 45 MPG (Automatic).
Turbo Jett
Great car...can't beat it for the money.
Great Car!!
Great handling, fun car to drive...I've had a Jeep Cherokee, Toyota Corolla, Mitsubishi Mirage, Mitsubishi Galant and they all pale in comparison to my Jetta. The only thing I would change (if I could) would be the mileage. I got better gas mileage with the Toyota Corolla. But the difference in the ride is so great that the extra gas doesn't bother me.
Lemon
Within 6 mos of ownership: the driver's side window fell into the door and the driver's side tail light burnt out, suspension started making creaking noises, coil pack went out, computer burnt up, sub-frame bolts were stripped and needed to be replaced, as well as other parts on the suspension. Been to dealer 6 times to correct creaking noises, but to no avail. Vehicle has spent more time in service in the past 3 mos than I've seen it-total of about 40 days. Not my idea of reliability. Appalled by the level of rudeness received from the VW Customer Service Department.
I LOVE THIS CAR
I HAVE ONLY OWNED THIS CAR FOR 7 MONTHS AND I ALREADY HAVE PUT 22,000 MI. ON IT. I LOVE THE GAS MILEAGE OF THE TDI AND SINCE DIESEL IS A BIT CHEAPER, I LOVE IT EVEN MORE.
Great Car
Excellent Vehicle. Car drives like a dream. The 1.8 Turbo engine sold itself. I had test drove one with the 2.0L 4-cyl and it was alright but the turbo makes it feel like a sports car! Also test drove BMW 325i and this car is far better.
Jetta GLI 2003
The best car I have ever owned. Fun to drive. More than enough power, hard to drive the speed limit.
Can't afford to get rid of it.
My family of 5 has outgrown our Jetta TDI but every time we look at buying something bigger we can't afford to lose the Jetta. We bought this car when it was 2 yrs old with 55,000mi on it. We have since put 55,000 mi on it in less than 3 years. We love the exterior styling, we love everything about the interior except the cup holders, although the AC vents do keep your drinks cool forget doing anything with the radio. What we like best is that it's just plain fun to drive. My wife's car is an '06 Pontiac G6 GT and it's fun, but we still find ourselves fighting over driving the diesel. If you get a TDI make sure it's a manual, the auto is a little sluggish off the line.
Chris's ride
Just a fun car to drive. I wanna autocross it!
first VW more to come
This was my first VW ever bought. 3 of my friends had bought VW's within the past 2 yrs and they loved their cars (all Jetta' from base to GLX's) they handle great in the snow and they are alot of fun on dry roads. So far my exp have been all fun w/this new car of mine. If it keeps goin this way VW has found themselves a new customer for life. VW has put in so many little features that other manufactures leave out and it makes you wonder how you lived w/out them for so long.
excellent
Great performance car! great handling and fun to drive. Also VW customer service is excellent
Bigger - pocket rocket!!
Own a 2003 GLS 1.8T for 3 weeks now. Love the drive. Even more standard features. Just remember it's a compact car, not a luxury car. No complains while I still have the new car warranty.
vw jetta
great car to drive but very expensive to fix and not reliable
A great ride
My Jetta has been an excellent purchase. The only problem is the interior, the plastic is pealing. But it is what is under the hood that I really like. It zooms through the traffic, has great gasoline mileage and still is comfortable enough to pick up mom and dad at the airport. I have been very happy with my cool looking jetta.
Worst Car EVER!
I have had nothing but problems with this car! The water pump, pistons, cylinders, locks, windows, suspension, (and the list goes on) have gone OUT on me numerous times!! I go to the mechanic at least 2 times a year, and average spending $400-$500 each trip. I hear a constant LOUD rattling sound when I drive on the freeway, and hear loud squeaking noises when i go over speed bumps, and make wide turns, & no one can fix it! I WOULD NOT recommend this car!
A piece of junk
Jetta has lot of mechanical problems. We bought ours(brand new) in march 2002.Since then it has been in the dealers workshop 7 times for repairs. The car did really well for the first 2000-2500 miles. After these initial miles it has given us all sort of problems. It started with door rattling, followed by the left view mirror cracking, followed by complete failure of the audio system 2 times in a row(within 10 days) . Yesterday the drivers side window fell into the door and won't go up. Guys, think twice before buying this car. Buy it if you want to spend your week day off at the dealers place. Atleast this is what has been happening to us.
vw rocket
it is fun to drive and has very good handling for the money the car has a lot to offer need to drive it to see
Great Value with Tuning Capabilities
I was surprised when I first test drove the new Jetta. I had been looking at many comparable new cars and once I drove the new Jetta, my mind was made up.
Should be a Ford fix and repair daily
Constant repairs only 20,000 miles and most of that to repair shop been towed three times now the Windows fell out looks good just needs lots of glue and bumper to bumper for life would not recommend this car.
Awesome!
So I just bought the car at the beginning of the year and I have to say this is best car that i have driven. I had a 2000 nissan pathfinder that was a really good car in terms of reliability but it had a lot of miles on it and this car was on sale and only had 40k miles on it. Drove a lot of different cars that were in the same price range, and this is by far the best car that i have ever driven. The only problem that I had was I drive aggressively, the roads in Jackson Ms are terrible so I had to put new tires on the car after about 10k miles. The tires are pretty pricey because of the rims. Other than that I have not had any problems what so ever. I love this car!!!